Black Powder Pass Hike, Breckenridge

Trail: Black Powder Pass
Length: 3.4 Miles RT
Elevation Gain: 693
Highest Point: 12,187′
Where: Boreas Pass top of Continental Divide!
Closest Town: Breckenridge
Directions: Denver to Breck To Boreas I-70 West to US-40 West to Co Hwy 6 ~2h+

While I have spent a lot of time in Breckenridge over the years I haven’t really spent that much time there in the summer. So I honestly don’t know that many hikes in the area! Lucky for us, Clay’s mom, my future mother in law (!!!), booked a condo for a month this summer in Breck!

On our first weekend visiting, we choose the moderate hike of Black Powder Pass up on Boreas Pass. This hike takes you to the ridgeline between Bald Mountain and Boreas Mountain, and really gives you a lot of bang for your buck. The trailhead is right on top of the Continental Divide at treeline so your hike starts immediately with stunning views. BOOM!
It’s a slow incline to the top but we were huffing and puffing getting our lungs used to the altitude. The hike is defiantly more strenuous on your lungs than your legs.

The trail is only 3.4 miles round trip so huff and puff cause it’s totally worth it to make it to the ridgeline and see the other side. On one side is the view of Breckenridge and the Tenmile Range, on the other side, you can see down into South Park valley near FairPlay. So weird to be standing on top of the mountains you see when driving down 285.